The present invention relates to a golf tee assembly and, more particularly, to a golf tee assembly with reusable golf tees. Still more particularly, the invention concerns a golf tee assembly which may be used with practice tees on teeing ground surfaces including synthetic grass or rubber mats such as are common at driving ranges.
Golfers often find it desirable to practice their strokes and, generally, such practice takes place at driving ranges. Of course, practice is not limited to driving ranges and may take place at any suitable location. In undertaking practice, golfers would prefer to simulate conditions encountered during golf play. Typically, however, practice at driving ranges is limited to practice tees of singular orientation.
Since a relationship exists between the golf club used and the vertical elevation of the golf ball in play, practice at driving ranges is limited. That is to say, in different situations in actual play the height of the golf ball from the ground is varied and the selection of a particular golf club depends in part on the vertical elevation of the golf ball. For example, in teeing off at commencement of play of each hole, the ball is usually placed on a golf tee which, for all practical purposes, represents the highest elevation of golf ball placement. At the opposite extreme, golf ball location in a sand trap, represents a golf ball at one of its lowest elevations from the ground. Intermediate conditions exist when the golf stroke takes place on a fairway or in any location where grass of different height may be encountered.
It is desirable, for golfers to be able to practice their strokes under different conditions to simulate those that may be encountered during play. With the usual practice tees at a driving range, only a single golf ball placement device is usually available; typically in the form of a hollow rubber cylinder secured to the teeing ground surface, (generally a simple artificial grass mat or carpet). The practice tee must be secured adequately to avoid displacement when the golf ball is stroked. The term "practice tee" as used herein refers to the kind often found at practice ranges which comprises a hollow cylindrical member that extends upwardly through a hole in the carpet or mat and a horizontal flange that remains under the mat or carpet to secure the cylindrical member.
It is desirable to provide a golf tee assembly which provides golf tees of varying vertical elevation but which are secured in such a way as to not result in loss or destruction of the golf tee, so that the golf tees may be reused. However, it is also desirable to provide a golf tee assembly of the type described which is portable and which may be easily arranged for use and removal after use.
Golf tees have been proposed for providing adjustable height or elevation to accommodate different practice or playing conditions. One such example, may be found in Young, U.S. Pat. No. 1,636,655 which describes a truncated rubber cone constructed with a circumferential bead that may serve as a base if one section of the tee is removed. The height of the golf tee may be changed by removing one section of the tee.
Another arrangement is described in Mahony U.S. Pat. No. 1,542,514 which describes a golf tee mat having built therein golf tees of varying heights. The mat has a plurality of rows of tees extending across and spaced apart to permit each tee to support a golf ball and the golf tees in the row may vary in vertical elevation, i.e., height. In another arrangement described in Drevitson U.S. Pat. No. 1,675,335, a golf tee is described as being formed of an arcuate strip of flexible sheet which has ends that overlap to form a hollow cone frustrum. By varying the degree of overlap of the ends of the strip, the vertical elevation may be adjusted. Van Patten U.S. Pat. No. 1,692,233 describes a fixed, triangular-shaped plate with golf tees at the apices that may vary in height. A similar structure is disclosed in Design Patent 239,123 to Reed et al. In the latter two devices the golf tees are connected to each other.
Portable golf tees have been proposed which typically include a golf tee attached to a weight or other heavy object intended to avoid loss of the golf tee after use. Typical of such arrangements are those described in Newton U.S. Pat. No. 654,666, Ranseen U.S. Pat. No. 1,670,123, Smith U.S. Pat. No. 1,823,992, and Roop U.S. Design Pat. No. 78,587. Alternative means for fastening the tee so as to avoid its loss following use are described in Trane U.S. Pat. No. 1,779,995 and Lowell U.S. Pat. No. 1,650,141. The Trane patent includes two connected golf tees which may be secured by an anchoring pin in the middle.
It is apparent that the construction of golf tee assemblies has not progressed significantly over the years as evidenced by the age of the above described patents.